Harry’s iDrum, and other stories
Harry has endless stories of growing up in Africa in the bush (pronounced boosh). Harry was admiring Justin’s iPhone. But we Americans copied it from the African bush. When Harry was growing up, and they would travel by foot to another village far away, they would sound the drum in a specific rhythm. Usually they would be a mile or so away in the bush and would transmit the sound from one person to another. Because one must let others know when they would visit so they could prepare. When the drums ran out (“no service “ on the iPhone), a runner would go to the next village and tell them, and so on. AAs they travelled by foot, there would be hunters accompanying them in the front and the back to guard them from lions and other wild animals. Usually, the lions would leave them alone (usually?). (If you have not read What is the What, I encourage you. It is about the Lost Boys in Sudan, and describes in detail what Harry has told us about. Uganda borders Sudan, and both countries have been ravaged by war, leaving many children orphans to fend for themselves. It continues to happen with rebels and government still fighting … editorial by me)
Back to the story …… they would arrive at a village, visit with them, share food with them generally fruit from trees, meat if God had blessed them with a bountiful hunt of killing something. Harry used to climb mango trees and just eat of the fruit there. Bananas. He still will go outside and get a mango off a tree and eat breakfast if he needs food and God tells him to eat in the morning instead of fast. To go home in the boosh, they would again call their family on the iDrum, and the whole process would go in reverse.
Parents, that leads me to my next funny reflection. Harry has a cell phone whose ringtone is a mariachi band. Our first night here on the bus, as he stood in the pulpit of the steps, his phone rang, and he looks over his glasses at the phone. The kids love seeing that! He says it is a friend who lives in Canada, who is from Africa, and he must call him later that night as the friend will talk for an hour. Mind you, it is probably midnight by now. I am sure that Jesus kept Harry up til the friend was finished talking! Fortunately we have a couple of photos of Harry looking at his cell phone. I think every single one of your kids, and all the adults, would die for Harry. We would take a bullet for him. He has been such an incredible blessing for all of us, to listen to him tell us in the morning that we look different every day. He knows everyone. He has encouraged us to see every interaction as an opportunity to witness to the saving and redeeming power of Jesus. To live on faith. When he had a $49.85 phone bill planning a missionary trip (using home phone instead of church phone) he decided not to fool with turning in all the papers and receipt to be reimbursed, but as him paying is the same as God’s money he would just pay it and that God would provide the money for him to do such. So he just sat back to see what God would do as He is always on time. “I was just so excited” with a grin and raising the fists in the air. He parked at a shopping center, and God told him to move to a different spot. What would God want me to do that? Well, Ok. So he moves the car, opens the door, and lying on the ground is a fifty dollar bill. Thank you Lord! He pays the bill, and in the offering plate, gives an envelope with “You change”. This is not to glorify him, but to show how good Jesus is by providing by his needs.
Harry was blessed in Canada to have a job, sometimes not the highest paying job, but a perfect provision. Like with the car rental company, who provided gas, car, expenses for him. They were Muslim. They gave him money to use to serve the Lord. When Jesus told him to go on a trip for the Lord, he told the employer who told him that if he did not come to work he would have no job. Oh, well. Harry returns from the trip, does not go to work Monday, but goes on Thursday to get his check and to take the employer to lunch. The boss asks where he is, and why has he not returned? I have no job. Yes, you do. You will work here still. OK! Harry was able to live on a specific amount, give, and tithe, build his own pension, and any extra expenses would be covered by Jesus. So when Jesus told him to move here over a year ago permanently, he could just pick up and go. His brothers ask why you suffer down there? Me, suffer? No, I am having a great time (fists in the air). And he lives with Pastor Johnny, Pastor Evelyn, Samuel, Frankie the nephew who can speak English and interpret. I am sure others stay there. Soto eats there often. Currently Soto is staying in Harry’s office building that he happened to come across. They are praying whether to repair/renovate it, or sell it and purchase elsewhere to have office space, place to stay for teams, or whatever else God has in mind. It is God’s!
In Harry’s house, Pastor Evelyn cares for the men. She is an incredible pastor with such a soft, beautiful touch, She visits the public hospital weekly and prays for people. She has such a tender heart. She bought the medicine for the little girl at the hospital before she left the hospital. She and I went into the Haitian village talking with people, praying for the sick, sharing Jesus with them. Harry sees how she is the wife that God has commanded her to be, to pray several times a day for the men in the house as they go out and fight the battles on the street. She washes their clothes (no front loaders here, maybe what one would loosely call a washing machine …….. no need for a dryer!). She feeds them and cooks for them, no matter what time they arrive home. When they all arrive home they are just so excited (grin with your fists in the air) to talk about what Jesus has done that day. Pastor Evelyn cares for her family first, and serves the Lord constantly. She is the woman in Proverbs 31. She is a picture of grace and beauty. I really am dying to know how old she is, and I am sure she is younger than me, but she is the woman that I, as a younger woman, am to look to for teaching and how to be a humble wife and mother and teacher to the younger women.
Harry has endless stories of growing up in Africa in the bush (pronounced boosh). Harry was admiring Justin’s iPhone. But we Americans copied it from the African bush. When Harry was growing up, and they would travel by foot to another village far away, they would sound the drum in a specific rhythm. Usually they would be a mile or so away in the bush and would transmit the sound from one person to another. Because one must let others know when they would visit so they could prepare. When the drums ran out (“no service “ on the iPhone), a runner would go to the next village and tell them, and so on. AAs they travelled by foot, there would be hunters accompanying them in the front and the back to guard them from lions and other wild animals. Usually, the lions would leave them alone (usually?). (If you have not read What is the What, I encourage you. It is about the Lost Boys in Sudan, and describes in detail what Harry has told us about. Uganda borders Sudan, and both countries have been ravaged by war, leaving many children orphans to fend for themselves. It continues to happen with rebels and government still fighting … editorial by me)
Back to the story …… they would arrive at a village, visit with them, share food with them generally fruit from trees, meat if God had blessed them with a bountiful hunt of killing something. Harry used to climb mango trees and just eat of the fruit there. Bananas. He still will go outside and get a mango off a tree and eat breakfast if he needs food and God tells him to eat in the morning instead of fast. To go home in the boosh, they would again call their family on the iDrum, and the whole process would go in reverse.
Parents, that leads me to my next funny reflection. Harry has a cell phone whose ringtone is a mariachi band. Our first night here on the bus, as he stood in the pulpit of the steps, his phone rang, and he looks over his glasses at the phone. The kids love seeing that! He says it is a friend who lives in Canada, who is from Africa, and he must call him later that night as the friend will talk for an hour. Mind you, it is probably midnight by now. I am sure that Jesus kept Harry up til the friend was finished talking! Fortunately we have a couple of photos of Harry looking at his cell phone. I think every single one of your kids, and all the adults, would die for Harry. We would take a bullet for him. He has been such an incredible blessing for all of us, to listen to him tell us in the morning that we look different every day. He knows everyone. He has encouraged us to see every interaction as an opportunity to witness to the saving and redeeming power of Jesus. To live on faith. When he had a $49.85 phone bill planning a missionary trip (using home phone instead of church phone) he decided not to fool with turning in all the papers and receipt to be reimbursed, but as him paying is the same as God’s money he would just pay it and that God would provide the money for him to do such. So he just sat back to see what God would do as He is always on time. “I was just so excited” with a grin and raising the fists in the air. He parked at a shopping center, and God told him to move to a different spot. What would God want me to do that? Well, Ok. So he moves the car, opens the door, and lying on the ground is a fifty dollar bill. Thank you Lord! He pays the bill, and in the offering plate, gives an envelope with “You change”. This is not to glorify him, but to show how good Jesus is by providing by his needs.
Harry was blessed in Canada to have a job, sometimes not the highest paying job, but a perfect provision. Like with the car rental company, who provided gas, car, expenses for him. They were Muslim. They gave him money to use to serve the Lord. When Jesus told him to go on a trip for the Lord, he told the employer who told him that if he did not come to work he would have no job. Oh, well. Harry returns from the trip, does not go to work Monday, but goes on Thursday to get his check and to take the employer to lunch. The boss asks where he is, and why has he not returned? I have no job. Yes, you do. You will work here still. OK! Harry was able to live on a specific amount, give, and tithe, build his own pension, and any extra expenses would be covered by Jesus. So when Jesus told him to move here over a year ago permanently, he could just pick up and go. His brothers ask why you suffer down there? Me, suffer? No, I am having a great time (fists in the air). And he lives with Pastor Johnny, Pastor Evelyn, Samuel, Frankie the nephew who can speak English and interpret. I am sure others stay there. Soto eats there often. Currently Soto is staying in Harry’s office building that he happened to come across. They are praying whether to repair/renovate it, or sell it and purchase elsewhere to have office space, place to stay for teams, or whatever else God has in mind. It is God’s!
In Harry’s house, Pastor Evelyn cares for the men. She is an incredible pastor with such a soft, beautiful touch, She visits the public hospital weekly and prays for people. She has such a tender heart. She bought the medicine for the little girl at the hospital before she left the hospital. She and I went into the Haitian village talking with people, praying for the sick, sharing Jesus with them. Harry sees how she is the wife that God has commanded her to be, to pray several times a day for the men in the house as they go out and fight the battles on the street. She washes their clothes (no front loaders here, maybe what one would loosely call a washing machine …….. no need for a dryer!). She feeds them and cooks for them, no matter what time they arrive home. When they all arrive home they are just so excited (grin with your fists in the air) to talk about what Jesus has done that day. Pastor Evelyn cares for her family first, and serves the Lord constantly. She is the woman in Proverbs 31. She is a picture of grace and beauty. I really am dying to know how old she is, and I am sure she is younger than me, but she is the woman that I, as a younger woman, am to look to for teaching and how to be a humble wife and mother and teacher to the younger women.
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